Ian McKellen's Macbeth...

One of the best theatrical experiences I have ever had was seeing Ian McKellen as Macbeth in London in 1977. Judi Dench was Lady Macbeth, though at the time I'd never heard of her before. I remember it well, though I don't know where the programme has gone.

So when I sat down on Saturday to see the Trevor Nunn DVD version of the play from 1978 starring Ian McKellen, I thought I'd be seeing the same thing. And in some ways, it was the same thing. Well, of course the words were the same, and the delivery of the main characters, and some of the lighting - which must be some of the best stage lighting I've ever seen. Sheer genius.

But other things were different, unless my memory fails me, which it might, after all this time. Changed for filming, perhaps?

It suffered a little from being a filmed version of a stage show, which is never entirely successful. But it rememinded me how and why Ian McKellen was my favourite actor of the seventies.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...

I'd never seen the earlier version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder, and when Beulah brought over the DVD of the 2005 Johnny Depp version, I wasn't sure what to expect. I hadn't much liked the look of the trailer and one of my guilty secrets is that I don't much enjoy Tim Burton movies. I think I should like them, as they are clever and inventive, but they don't end up feeling entertained by them. Always a disappointment.

I also have my doubts about Roald Dahl's books, too. I might have liked them at eight. I see the cleverness of them. But I don't really like them.

So, what did the movie have going for it? Johnny Depp, of course. I liked Freddie Highmore as Charlie, and his family, and their weird little house. Otherwise I pretty thoroughly disliked the music, the Oompa Loompas (who struck me as uncharming and vaguely racist), the Chocolate Factory, the plot, the writing, the sets and the direction.

vanished, third episode...

Okay, so I'm suspicious of everyone, especially the ex-wife and the Senator's assistant. Or perhaps they should be looking at his political rivals for a suspect? Whoever is behind the plot, has an incredible range of technological control and a very long-range political plan.

We don't seem to have a lot of suspects. Which makes me suspect the Senator himself, which means (a) he's a really good actor and (b) the stakes are very high.

If the guy who knew Sarah 12 years ago is right and Nicky is the real persona, while Sarah is the fake, who are the people claiming to be Sarah's parents? Was the real Sarah substituted for someone else? Or vice versa?

My reaction to the show is pretty much the opposite of tamalinn - though I like Kelton, I don't like his looks, and it's the plot that's holding me to the show.